India, May 31 -- Actor Madhuri Dixit has publicly defended Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after the latter became the target of online trolling following her appearance at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. In a recent conversation with Press Trust of India, Madhuri criticised the culture of reducing women to discussions around body size, ageing and appearance, especially when they have spent decades building remarkable careers.

"She has been going there for 20 years. She has done the whole country proud," Madhuri said while speaking about Aishwarya's global presence at Cannes. "You cannot reduce her to a number on a scale or a number on the dress or the size or a number on the calendar years," she added. The actor further described Aishwarya as som...